Hawking Says Humans Must Go Into Space

[Mark]

The thinking pattern here is just plain weird. Hawking recognizes that humans are capable of destroying the environment and wiping out many forms of life at the touch of a few buttons. So his solution is to spread out into space, as if that would solve anything. Spread the mental disease. Wow.

I think it's true that many scientists would be more effective if they were educated in multiple disciplines, as has been pointed out.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060613/D8I7ADB81.html

Hawking Says Humans Must Go Into Space

Jun 13, 7:50 AM (ET)

By SYLVIA HUI

HONG KONG (AP) - The survival of the human race depends on its ability to find new homes elsewhere in the universe because there's an increasing risk that a disaster will destroy the Earth, world-renowned scientist Stephen Hawking said Tuesday.

The British astrophysicist told a news conference in Hong Kong that humans could have a permanent base on the moon in 20 years and a colony on Mars in the next 40 years.

"We won't find anywhere as nice as Earth unless we go to another star system," added Hawking, who arrived to a rock star's welcome Monday. Tickets for his lecture planned for Wednesday were sold out.

He added that if humans can avoid killing themselves in the next 100 years, they should have space settlements that can continue without support from Earth.

"It is important for the human race to spread out into space for the survival of the species," Hawking said. "Life on Earth is at the ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster, such as sudden global warming, nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus or other dangers we have not yet thought of."

The 64-year-old scientist - author of the global best seller "A Brief History of Time" - is wheelchair-bound and communicates with the help of a computer because he suffers from a neurological disorder called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

Hawking said he's teaming up with his daughter to write a children's book about the universe, aimed at the same age range as the Harry Potter books.

"It is a story for children, which explains the wonders of the universe," his daughter, Lucy, added.

They didn't provide other details.

 

[ark]

I think it's true that many scientists would be more effective if they were educated in multiple disciplines, as has been pointed out.

This need not be of any help, I think. The main point is that it would make a difference if these scientists could think and feel- which evidently is a problem for many of them. What Hawking presents is a complete lack of comprehension of the reality and a robot-like mental attitude with no feel. I wonder if he is remotely programmed? Suppose he would know more about game theory, history and literature - would it make any difference? I doubt. He could then well come to the "solution" proposed by the Lambda Corporation: to destroy 99 percent of the population of this planet.

 

[Youngfox]

Um, Are we not already in space?
(Bound by gravity to the sustaining source of our physicality)
When you hear these "genius" types advocating escape from the Earth and expansion of the human race to other environs, you have to wonder who they might think would facilitate such endeavours.
It would be the same PTB who advocate and facilitate the same mindless consumption and endlessly myopic self-pity that has brought this beautiful globe to the toxic brink.
The escape into outer space seems to be the answer for those who never consider the long journey to understanding their inner space.
I cannot escape the thought that we are here because here is where we should be, (In this physical form, anyway..)
When incomplete and often broken creatures wish to set out and expand their influence and "footprint" to other destinations without ever attempting to fire up the dormant aspects of their own big brains it just seems like more distraction from the possible evolution of said creatures.
Oh what the hell, let's keep punching holes in our atmosphere so we can get to a used up rock and find ancient evidence (or a note) that says, "Leaving for Earth, nothing left here."
When will we stop measuring our 'progress' by the size and scope of the monuments to redundancy we can create?

 

[Mr. Premise]

Stupid statements by Hawking continue:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060615/wl_uk_afp/sciencehongkongbritainphysics_060615124715

HONG KONG (AFP) - Acclaimed physicist Stephen Hawking has said that humanity is finally getting close to understanding the origin of the universe.

..."New observational results and theoretical advances are coming in rapidly; cosmology is a very exciting subject. We are getting close to answering these old questions: why are we here, where did we come from?"